The Wanganui Chronicle. SATURDAY, JUNE 26; 1948 BEAUTIFYING NEW ZEALAND

Wanganui Chronicle, 26 June 1948, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle. SATURDAY, JUNE 26 ; 1948 BEAUTIFYING NEW ZEALAND

THERE is some justification in the Australian crack at New Zealanders in the allegation that the latter ask: “What do you think of our beautiful country?” The actual fact is that there is too little to boast about in the way of beauty in New Zealand and that unpleasant fact had better be faced before this country becomes more ridiculous than it is now in the eyes of visitors. The distance between Wellington and Wanganui is some hundred and twenty miles and now that the route does not go over the hill at Paekakariki there is not one single feature worth looking at on that long run. The run from Wanganui to New Plymouth can boast a view of Egmont, but the Taranaki Plain is devoid of interest.

In the South Island there is some remarkable scenery but along the Canterbury Plains there arc large areas that are monotonous to an extreme degree. Why is this so in a country where gardening is so popular, The reason seems to oe that the country is too near to the pioneering period when it was necessary for the newcomers, because of lack of resources, to engage in ruthless methods when establishing themselves on the land. Nature has a way of healing the wounds if she is allowed to do so, but a country given up to grazing does not provide much opportunity for beautification. Along the roadside going northward from Wanganui several societies, chiefly women’s societies be it remarked, have undertaken the task of planting flowering shrubs and other foliage in order to give to the highway a quality and character that shall be appealing. This work, interfered with by the intrusion of the war period, is now being taken up again The same movement is getting under way in Wellington and there the need is great. A city set upon hills, it could be a place of great beauty, but it is not so: nor does it appear likely that it will become so in the near future. The unkindly soil and the prevailing winds operate to the disadvantage of civic beautification. Notwithstanding these handicaps, however, the Wellington Beautifying Society is a vigorous body determined to make the best of the city, no matter what the difficulties may be. The Wellington Beautifying Society is determined to attack the hoarding evil. It used to be one of the eyesores of England to see implanted in the centre of a delightful pastoral vista a white on black invitation to swallow so-and-so pills. It is not to be expected that people will spend their time, effort and money in making the highways of New Zealand beautiful to behold, only to have .heir efforts utilised for the purpose of making a background for an advertisement. There are many ways of earning a living but spoiling scenery is perhaps one of the worst ways of sustaining one’s exist ence. The commercial hoarding is not to be indescrintinately condemned. Many commercial hoardings are very attractive indeed, and where they cover up a civic eyesore they clo eerve a very satisfying purpose, their commercial value quite apart. But the abuse of the hoarding medium of advertising is quite another matter and the societies that are concerned to see this country much more beautiful than it is today would be well advised to support the action of the Wellington Beautifying Society in its efforts to have a curb put upon this abuse of a very useful and desirable advertising medium.